Method, apparatus and computer program for determining the location of a user in an area

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to determination of a user location and more particularly to an apparatus to manage a location of a user in a specific space and to provide the guidance to negotiate that space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Finding the way to a destination requires knowledge of the surroundings including landmarks, etc., and means for defining a route to the destination.

Blind people or persons with a visual impairment have to find their way to a destination but may not have as much information as a sighted person. The destination is more difficult to identify in open spaces and in new unknown areas. It is also difficult to determine whether or not a user has arrived at the required destination. It may also be necessary to identify the destination. For example if a person is trying to reach one particular room and there is a corridor of several similar rooms one after another (as normally occurs with restrooms), it would be difficult to know which is the right room to enter unless there is a sign (Braille or any other kind) mounted nearby.

Existing solutions are not suitable to solve this problem. Existing systems are able to indicate landmarks that are nearby but fail to determine the orientation (the direction being faced by the user) of the user at a given moment, thus cannot provide accurate directions and guidance to the user. For instance, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. GPS technology brings a solution for locating the user but also brings an accuracy error. This is acceptable for other users such as automobiles being routed to a specific destination, where four meters deviation error is not a great concern. Also GPS does not work indoors and in such places accuracy is even more important.

Another solution is a location solution with a triangulation system. The system locates the source location of cellular calls by determining how long it takes a call to reach each of three cell sites, then triangulates the location. Location solutions based on cellular phones and antenna triangulation based on signal strength are also not sufficiently accurate as needed for determining a location and orientation system to work indoors and also suffers from problems of beam reflections on nearby buildings.

These two solutions are suitable to determine the user location but not the user's orientation at a given moment which is a fundamental need for a blind person.

For indoor use there is a partial solution using radio triangulation location. Radio triangulation systems have multiple antennas (acting as either transmitters, receivers or both) placed throughout a building. The signal from a device/user is picked up by multiple receiving antennas. Each of these antennas is in a known location and the distance between the transmitted signal and the received antenna is calculated. The point at which these three radii intersect is the location of the device/user. Location sensing indoor systems using triangulation have the same problem as cellular antenna triangulation of multi-path reflection. This gives a poor accuracy and error which impacts the reliability of the system.

Smart Floor solutions are also used for locating users/people. Footstep profiles of the users are registered in a database. When a user walks on specific load sensitive tiles located in the floor, the system can then recognize and locate the user. The great disadvantage of this solution is that it needs to be set up for each particular user and over the building or space. It is not suitable for the general public and therefore does not provide a solution for public spaces such as buildings.

Infrared Auditory Signage (RIAS) is another solution. This solution operates by the installation of infrared transmitters that diffuse repeated human voice messages regarding the location of the user. The user receives these messages on small, hand held or head mounted receivers. These messages can be transmitted via sound or via infrared light. RIAS systems offer a solution based on a directional beam. This system has the disadvantage of blocking and screening. This type of system is inconvenient because the user needs to be alert in advance of the location of the transmitter in order to align the receiver so the receiver can obtain the information desired.

Present Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions offer relative positioning indications for users but they fail to give information relating to orientation of the user. Solutions such as RFID Grid have the inconvenience that the orientation (direction in which the user is facing) is based on two readings done consecutively after movement of the user, this adds an error factor. Also outdoor orientation is processed by an insert mounted on a housing which could be raised and a groove (or slot) in the shape of a triangle located on the top surface of it. This triangle has to be touched by the user to activate the system and thus advanced knowledge of where to find it is needed.

S. Willis and S. Helal describe a solution for the orientation of users entitled “a passive RFID information grid for location and proximity sensing for the blind user”. The article describes a grid which is located indoors all over the surface of the floor. This grid allows a user to be guided sequentially from one cell to another one until a destination is reached. In this kind of system, each cell contains location information related to a defined place and a precise environment. A disadvantage of such system is that when a furniture is placed on a cell, the orientation of the user is disturbed. A second disadvantage of this system is that this grid can not be reused in another location as all cells are programmed with specific details from a defined space and can not be reprogrammed.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate orientation of a user at a given moment and to provide, by means of any information system, accurate information about the surroundings location and orientation.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine said orientation of the user in the space.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of orientating a user within a space and guiding the user towards one or more features therein, wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones, and wherein the user and each functional zone include a device wherein the devices can react to one another to transfer data, the method comprising, identifying the presence of the user close to a functional zone, determining the orientation of the user within the space, and providing the user with information relating to the user orientation and to at least one feature in the space.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method described in the preceeding paragraph, when the computer program is executed on a computer system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a user walking in an area.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section showing the structure of the specific zone in the area of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the surface for the area of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing another kind of surface for the area of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the grid pattern formed by RFID tags in the system, according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the shoe of a user standing on the grid of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a further top view of the shoe of the user standing on the grid of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the shoe of the user containing two RFID readers.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart for illustrating the method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a user 100 is located in an area 101. The user can move in this area or in and out of the area as required. Area 101 can be internal (e.g.: offices, etc.) or external (e.g.: streets, etc.). In area 101, user 100 is located on a surface coating 102. This surface coating can be tiles, asphalt or any other appropriate surface. User 100 can be accurately located in area 101 as will be described in greater detail below.

Area 101 is a place wherein a user can obtain locational information, for example a blind person who needs to know an exact location in order to negotiate a certain obstacle. In an external example this may be at a crossing on a pedestrian walkway. In an internal example the user could be located in a hall of a building in front of the elevators. In order to locate the user area 101 includes a device which is made of different layers disposed on a ground coating.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of an area 200 identifying the formation thereof. The first layer comprises an adhesive 201. Adhesive 201 fixes a large element 202 to a ground coating 203. As shown in FIG. 3, an element 300 can be partially covered by a rugged material 301. As shown in FIG. 4, an element 400 can also be totally covered by a rugged material 401. As shown in FIG. 5, an element 500 contains a number of elements (501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) on the same plane. In this example there are nine elements. The elements (501, 502, 503, 504, etc.) are disposed to form a grid pattern 505 as shown in FIG. 5. Each side of grid pattern 505 is made with three aligned elements. Each element can be identified by a name. For a grid pattern with nine surfaces, the names may be t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8 and t9. These codes represent the geographic position of each element: t1 for front left, t2 for front center, t3 for front right, t4 for middle left, t5 for middle center, t6 for middle right, t7 for back left, t8 for back center and t9 for back right.

In the present example each element includes an RFID tag. These RFID tags may be passive so that no power supply is necessary, however in other example different types of RFID tags may be used. Also for different applications and requirements the elements may include a different type of marker, as will described in greater detail below. The RFID tag or other type of marker may contain information. This information may comprise the names such as t1 to t9.

In an alternative embodiment, an element may also be installed in the ground coating. In this situation, the ground coating has to be specifically made from a material that does not affect the transmission of the radio frequencies from the RFID tags.

If the element, which contains the tags, has no rugged surface, a second layer is disposed over the element. This second layer is made of a rugged material or any other appropriate material. This second layer can be similar to the one used on sidewalks to warn pedestrians that they reached the edge of the sidewalk. The second layer uniformly covers the surface of the ground coating at the location of the device.

The second layer can also be disposed in order to alternate one surface without a second layer with a second surface having a second layer at the location of the device. The second layer is made from a material that does not affect the transmission of the radio frequencies from the RFID tags.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 the user stands above the surface containing the grid of RFID tags, so that the shoes of the user are located substantially above the device.

As shown in FIG. 8, one of the shoes, for example the right one 800 comprises two RFID readers. One RFID reader 801 is disposed in the tip of the shoe and the other 802 is in the heel of the shoe. RFID readers can also be located in both shoes.

The different steps of the process of this invention are now described with reference to FIG. 9.

The right shoe is located over a device in step 901 (i.e. the grid pattern composed of the elements). In the right shoe, each tag reader is located on a different element of the grid pattern. These elements are adjacent and correspond to different passive RFID tags each with a different name. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, 601 reader is located on t3 (front right) and 602 reader is located on t5 (middle center). Also, as shown in FIG. 7, 701 reader is located on t3 (front right) and 702 reader is located on t6 (middle right). A reading process 902 will give a result after concatenation of 601 position and 602 position or 701 position and 702 position. Thus as shown in FIG. 6, the reader in step 903 will indicate that the front of the shoe is located in the front right of the grid and for FIG. 7 the reader will indicate that the front of the shoe is located in the front of the grid.

Then the orientation information is transmitted in step 904 to an orientation system. The orientation system will process the information of orientation of the shoe and thus the user in order to determine what direction the user is facing. The orientation system will be able to define what is forwards for the user, backwards for the user, leftwards for the user and/or rightwards for the user.

This information is transmitted in step 905 to a communication system in order to inform the location to the user. This communication can be via an appropriate acoustic system which is either attached to the user or is associated with the grid. For example, if the user is outside, he will receive information concerning street names and relative location. If the user is inside he will receive information concerning the lift locations or information concerning locations of personnel offices for example.

The invention has an advantage that the direction in which the user is facing will be known and will be used to accurately determine information about the surroundings, for example when the user reaches the corner of X street and Y street, the system will identify this location and the fact that X street is in front and Y street to the right.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine said orientation of the user in the space.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each functional zone is a surface mounted zone.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least two functional zones are adjacent one to the other.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first type device comprises a tag RFID.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second type device comprises an RFID reader.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second type device is located in a shoe of the user.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second type device comprises an RFID reader in the heel of the shoe of the user and another RFID reader in the toe of the shoe of the user.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each functional zone comprises the first type device securely covered by a rugged material.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a communication system in order to provide the information to the user.
 10. A method of orientating a user within a space and guiding the user towards one or more features therein, wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones, and wherein the user and each functional zone include a device wherein the devices can react to one another to transfer data, the method comprising: identifying the presence of the user close to a functional zone; determining the orientation of the user within the space; and providing the user with information relating to the user orientation and to at least one feature in the space.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the identifying step includes identifying the presence of the user in the functional zone.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the providing step further includes the step of guiding the user toward the one feature.
 13. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to claim 10, when the computer program is executed on a computer system.
 14. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the identifying step includes identifying the presence of the user in the functional zone.
 15. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the providing step further includes the step of guiding the user toward the one feature. 